My experience with the mindbodygreen Health Coach Certification program

I did it! Seven months ago, I was trying to decide whether to enroll in the mindbodygreen Health Coach Certification program. Today I am a mindbodygreen health coach.

After taking time to celebrate this accomplishment, I will consider what I want to do next with this certification:

1. Use the skills learned solely in my personal life. (This alone makes it worth the investment.)
2. Perform volunteer work. (I’ve been looking for a way to give back that is flexible and enjoyable.)
3. Coach professionally and earn a little extra spending money. (That can’t be a bad thing, right?)

More to come on that in future posts, I am sure. 

In the meantime, in case you are considering becoming a health and wellness coach yourself, or you are just curious, I thought I’d share a little about my experience with the mindbodygreen Health Coach Certification program.

Why did I chose mindbodygreen?

The health coaching industry is growing, and there are numerous paths to becoming a coach…from day-long workshops to accredited master’s degree programs and everything in between. I looked at several choices and landed on mindbodygreen for the following reasons:

• The course is an approved training program of the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC), a certifying body that represents a partnership with the National Board of Medical Examiners to establish minimal standards and ethics for practicing health and wellness coaches. I figured the information taught would be solid, and should I decide to pursue coaching further, completion of the mindbodygreen course makes me eligible to apply for board certification with the NBHWC.
• The course is completed entirely online, but includes regular live Zoom classes, so there is interaction with faculty and fellow-students while having the convenience of participating from my own home.
• The 20-week course is long enough that I felt I could learn a lot, and at the same time, I wasn’t making a years-long commitment.

How is the course structured?

Weekly coursework 

Each week of the mindbodygreen course includes two mandatory 90-minute live sessions, one optional live coaching triad (a chance to practice on your fellow students), several pre-recorded lectures of varying lengths, and a weekly multiple-choice quiz.

When I learned that I would need to participate in live classes every Tuesday and Thursday, I was concerned. Since retiring, I’ve grown quite attached to my flexible schedule and struggle with any sort of long-term time commitments. As it turned out, with the option of morning or evening classes, there was only one day that I just could not make work. I took advantage of the simple make-up process and was back on track within the week.

Skills assessments 

In addition to the classwork, each student conducts a minimum of three coaching sessions, which are recorded and submitted for skills assessment. After each session, the student has a one-on-one session with a mindbodygreen faculty member to review the student’s strengths and opportunities for improvement.

This requirement pushed me the furthest outside of my comfort zone, and in fact when I heard I had to find my own clients…who could not be family, friends, or classmates…I almost backed out. I’m glad I didn’t. As it turns out, finding people who want free health coaching…even from a student…is not that difficult. The instructors provided effective messaging and suggestions for finding those clients. In my case, I quickly signed up a friend of my daughter, a classmate’s associate, and a friend’s spouse. 

As for the coaching sessions and the assessments…sure they were scary, but highly rewarding as well. I learned so much and was actually able to make a real difference for my clients (even as a rookie). 

Final exam

After completing all of the classes, watching the pre-recorded videos, and passing the weekly quizzes with 80 percent or better, it was time to take the final exam…a timed online exam consisting of 225 questions. Students have 4.5 hours to complete the exam. I was able to do it in 1 hour and 45 minutes. I’m told the average time is 2.5 hours. I found it to be challenging, but not overwhelming. A message lets you know when you are halfway through the questions. At that point, I took a short stretch break, and found that helped me to reset and power through. Results are promised within 72 hours. I had mine within 24.

I was pleased to learn I passed with a solid score on my first attempt. For those who find testing more challenging, you are allowed to retake the test within two weeks should you fail to achieve the required 80 percent on your first try.

What topics are covered?

So what did I learn in all of those classes? In general, I learned coaching/communication and behavior change skills and received valuable evidence-based information on wellness and lifestyle factors, as well as chronic illness and biometric measures. To be more specific, here are the weekly topics as listed on the course outline:

1. The case for health coaching
2. Behavior change theory
3. Mindful listening, motivational interviewing, OARS, scaling, and reflections
4. Non-violent communication and appreciative inquiry
5. The arc of a coaching relationship
6. Setting SMART goals
7. Integrating Assessments and measuring progress
8. Difficult conversations and conflict resolution
9. Personal development and healing presence
10. Mind-body skills
11. Models of well-being and health on a spectrum
12. Stress and resilience
13. Sleep
14. Physical activity
15. Nutrition
16. Addiction
17. Code of ethics
18. Maintain security, HIPAA, and privacy
19. Putting it all together
20. Final exam prep

As a bonus, I also received access to a business course and a functional nutrition course, which I have not yet taken, but definitely plan to take advantage of in the near future.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely. First and foremost, I gained knowledge and skills that are beneficial to my personal life, both in my interactions with others and my own health and wellness. I also stepped out of my comfort zone in a way that felt purposeful and energizing. I connected with amazing people, and helped others take small steps that immediately improved their well-being.

While I am still deciding how I want to use all this incredible knowledge beyond my personal life, I have opened the door to the possibility of rewarding volunteer or professional work.

Are you interested?

If you are looking to improve your personal communication skills and/or health and wellness, or you want to become a health and wellness coach, or you want to incorporate coaching skills into your current occupation, I highly recommend the mindbodygreen Health Coach Certification program.

Should you decide to give it a whirl, I invite you to use this code when enrolling: HCCSTUDENT414. You will get a $750 discount on the cost of the course, and I will receive a small referral bonus.

1. To learn more and redeem your discount, click here. 
2. Add the class to your cart by clicking “Enroll Now.” 
3. Enter HCCSTUDENT414 on the checkout page. You should then see the price adjusted.
4. Complete your purchase.

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Your turn

1. What was the last course you took or skill that you learned?
2. If a genie were to grant you one health or wellness wish, what would you wish for?
3. What else is on your mind? Anything at all, I just love to hear from you.